Calderdale court heritage under the hammer

Historic items from a Calderdale Court that will be shut down at the end of the month will be taken out and put up for auction.

Halifax MP Holly Lynch is now leading the campaign to keep the contents in the borough ahead of Calderdale Magistrates’ closing for good on September 30.

It was announced earlier in the year that the Grade II listed building would be included on a list of 86 courts in the UK which were facing the axe. The building is also to be sold off.

Ms Lynch believes that the Ministry of Justice should stop the sale of the antiques and has urged the Justice Minister to intervene.

“The Government have closed down our courts and now they want to rob our town of these important items of local history,” she said.

“These items shouldn’t be sold off to the highest bidder so that the Ministry of Justice can squeeze even more cost savings out of Halifax.

“The paintings, furniture and historical legal documents need to be saved for future generations and would make excellent additions to the collection at the Bankfield Museum.

“I have written to the Justice Minister to urge him to halt the sell-off and to meet with me and representatives of the court to discuss ways to save these items”.

Items going under the hammer include oil paintings of prominent Victorian and Edwardian Halifax Magistrates and unique items of furniture such as the Presiding Magistrates’ Chairs which include carvings of the Halifax coat of arms.

Also included are three Victorian writs with Queen Victoria’s seal, issued to the Halifax Town Mayor and Corporation.